No program at Oklahoma is more prepared for the SEC than Patty Gasso’s softball powerhouse.
Gasso concluded her final month coaching in the Big 12 by capturing a fourth consecutive national title. She witnessed the most decorated senior class in the sport’s history end their careers with a final celebration in Oklahoma City, following a sweep of the Texas Longhorns in the Championship Series.
The program now boasts eight national championships, seven of which have been secured since 2013.
Oklahoma is set for a significant roster overhaul this offseason. Ten seniors graduated, and three more players departed through the transfer portal. Gasso has already signed eight talented freshmen and filled four of the five open spots from the portal.
The opening of Love’s Field in 2024 was a resounding success, and Gasso’s first major recruiting victory at the new facility could be securing 2024 USA Softball Player of the Year NiJaree Canady, who is highly coveted by the sport’s top programs.
“I’m ready to start coaching again because I don’t need to coach this (veteran team),” Gasso said after winning the title. “They know it. They’ve got it. They coach each other. I’m really excited about what’s coming.”
Oklahoma Softball Poised to Dominate SEC as They Transition from Big 12
With Oklahoma set to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC), there’s no doubt the softball landscape is about to experience a seismic shift. If the Sooners secure the services of a former Stanford star, the SEC will be trapped in a steel cage with Patty Gasso and Oklahoma, not the other way around.
The SEC is widely regarded as one of the most competitive conferences in college athletics, and softball is no exception. Every SEC school that fields a softball team made the NCAA Tournament in 2024, making each conference series feel like a Super Regional. The weekly grind will be far more intense than what the Sooners faced in the Big 12, with Oklahoma trading games against teams like Houston, Iowa State, and Texas Tech for matchups against SEC powerhouses like Ole Miss, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
Yet, while the SEC boasts depth and talent, its teams haven’t enjoyed top-tier dominance on the national stage in recent years, unlike the conference’s success in baseball. The last time an SEC school reached the Championship Series at the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) was in 2017, when Florida fell to Oklahoma. Since then, it’s been the Sooners—and more recently, Texas—who have consistently played for the national title, with Oklahoma defeating the Longhorns twice in the last three years. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has ensured that the Sooners face another massive ranked series annually since 2021.
In fact, Oklahoma has already proved its mettle against SEC competition. Over the past four years, the Sooners have posted an impressive 22-2 record against SEC opponents. Their only losses came in a 2021 doubleheader against Georgia, though Oklahoma avenged that defeat later at the WCWS. The Sooners were also 5-0 against the SEC in 2022 and a flawless 10-0 in 2023. At the 2024 WCWS, Oklahoma split two games against Florida before advancing to the Championship Series, where they again met Texas.
While the new SEC road environments will be more hostile, the Sooners are no strangers to raucous crowds. Oklahoma’s fans, affectionately known as the “crimson horde,” travel across the country in droves to support the nation’s most dominant program. Even as they face new challenges in the SEC, no home-field advantage will surpass the atmosphere at Love’s Field, where Gasso has built a fortress. She expects her team to improve further as they settle into their new surroundings.
Despite the transition to a tougher conference, Oklahoma’s talent pipeline remains unrivaled. In 2024, freshmen Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering made immediate impacts. Parker led the team with a .415 batting average, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 62 RBIs, while also adding 15 doubles and 34 walks to her stat line.
As Gasso’s Sooners move into this exciting new chapter, they’re not entering the SEC as underdogs but as a juggernaut ready to take on the challenge. And with Gasso’s unmatched coaching acumen and a roster stacked with talent, it’s clear the SEC will be dealing with Oklahoma’s dominance for years to come.
Oklahoma Softball Gearing Up for New Season with Returning Stars and Key Additions
The Oklahoma Sooners are set for an exciting 2025 softball season as they continue to build a powerhouse roster under the guidance of legendary head coach Patty Gasso. Key returners and a fresh influx of talented players will help steer the Sooners into a new chapter of competition.
Outfielder Jayda Coleman headlines the returners, but others are just as pivotal to the Sooners’ success. Alynah Torres, who finished fifth on the team with an impressive .389 batting average, blasted 12 home runs, and tallied 51 RBIs last season. Along with her, first baseman Cydney Sanders will return as a starting cornerstone.
In addition, seasoned outfielder Hannah Coor and key pitchers Kierston Deal and Paytn Monticelli will bring back crucial experience to bolster both the Sooners’ defense and pitching staff.
Patty Gasso has also made some strategic moves to strengthen her team for the future. In the past two weeks, Oklahoma has added several standouts to its roster, including former Utah Third-Team All-American outfielder Abby Dayton, BYU’s star shortstop Ailana Agbayani, steady North Carolina catcher Isabela Emerling, and Campbell’s veteran right-hander Isabella Smith. These new additions will complement the Sooners’ already star-studded freshman class, setting them up for a dynamic season ahead.
But perhaps most vital to the Sooners’ continued dominance is the leadership that will return to the dugout. Gasso will again be joined by her pair of associate head coaches, Jennifer Rocha and JT Gasso, both of whom have been instrumental in the program’s recent success. Together, they will guide Oklahoma into what promises to be a competitive new era, especially as they transition into the SEC.
With a combination of returning talent, fresh recruits, and top-tier coaching, the Sooners are more than ready for the challenges ahead as they aim to maintain their powerhouse status on the national stage.
